Joel 2

Chapter 2

Locusts Invade like an Army

1 Sound the alarm in Jerusalemt!
Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain!
Let everyone tremble in fear
because the day of the LORD is upon us.2 It is a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of thick clouds and deep blackness.
Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains,
a great and mighty army appears.
Nothing like it has been seen before
or will ever be seen again.3 Fire burns in front of them,
and flames follow after them.
Ahead of them the land lies
as beautiful as the Garden of Eden.
Behind them is nothing but desolation;
not one thing escapes.4 They look like horses;
they charge forward like warhorses.t5 Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops.
Listen to the noise they make—like the rumbling of chariots,
like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble,
or like a mighty army moving into battle.6 Fear grips all the people;
every face grows pale with terror.7 The attackers march like warriors
and scale city walls like soldiers.
Straight forward they march,
never breaking rank.8 They never jostle each other;
each moves in exactly the right position.
They break through defenses
without missing a step.9 They swarm over the city
and run along its walls.
They enter all the houses,
climbing like thieves through the windows.10 The earth quakes as they advance,
and the heavens tremble.
The sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars no longer shine.11 The LORD is at the head of the column.
He leads them with a shout.
This is his mighty army,
and they follow his orders.
The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing.
Who can possibly survive?

A Call to Repentance

12 That is why the LORD says,
“Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He is eager to relent and not punish.14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,
sending you a blessing instead of this curse.
Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
to the LORD your God as before.15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!
Announce a time of fasting;
call the people together
for a solemn meeting.16 Gather all the people—
the elders, the children, and even the babies.
Call the bridegroom from his quarters
and the bride from her private room.17 Let the priests, who minister in the LORD’s presence,
stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.
Let them pray, “Spare your people, LORD!
Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.
Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,
‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”

The LORD’s Promise of Restoration

18 Then the LORD will pity his people
and jealously guard the honor of his land.19 The LORD will reply,
“Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil,
enough to satisfy your needs.
You will no longer be an object of mockery
among the surrounding nations.20 I will drive away these armies from the north.
I will send them into the parched wastelands.
Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea,
and those at the rear into the Mediterranean.t
The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.”
Surely the LORD has done great things!21 Don’t be afraid, my people.
Be glad now and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things.22 Don’t be afraid, you animals of the field,
for the wilderness pastures will soon be green.
The trees will again be filled with fruit;
fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more.23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem!
Rejoice in the LORD your God!
For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness.
Once more the autumn rains will come,
as well as the rains of spring.24 The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain,
and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil.25 The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost
to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,
the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.t
It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.26 Once again you will have all the food you want,
and you will praise the LORD your God,
who does these miracles for you.
Never again will my people be disgraced.27 Then you will know that I am among my people Israel,
that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other.
Never again will my people be disgraced.

The LORD’s Promise of His Spirit

28 t“Then, after doing all those things,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams,
and your young men will see visions.29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on servants—men and women alike.30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—
blood and fire and columns of smoke.31 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and terriblet day of the LORD arrives.32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD
will be saved,
for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape,
just as the LORD has said.
These will be among the survivors
whom the LORD has called.

JOEL 2

Locusts and an Enemy //Army

1 Sound the trumpet on Zion,
the [Lord]'s sacred hill.
Warn everyone to tremble!
The judgment day of the [Lord]
is coming soon.

2 It will be dark and gloomy
with storm clouds overhead.
Troops will cover the mountains
like thunderclouds.
No army this powerful
has ever been gathered before
or will be gathered again.

3 Fiery flames surround them;
no one escapes.
Before they invaded,
the land was like Eden;
now only a desert remains.

4  t They look like horses
and charge like cavalry.

5 They roar over mountains
like noisy chariots,
or a mighty army
ready for battle.
They are a forest fire
that feasts on straw.

6 The very sight of them
is frightening.t

7 They climb over walls
like warriors;
they march in columns
and never turn aside.t

8 They charge straight ahead,
without pushing each other;
even arrows and spears
cannot make them retreat.

9 They swarm over city walls
and enter our homes;
they crawl in through windows,
just like thieves.

10  t They make the earth tremble
and the heavens shake;
the sun and moon turn dark,
and stars stop shining.

11  t The [Lord] God leads this army
of countless troops,
and they obey his commands.
The day of his judgment
is so terrible
that no one can stand it.

The [Lord]'s Invitation

12 The [Lord] said:
It isn't too late.
You can still return to me
with all your heart.
Start crying and mourning!
Go without eating.

13 Don't rip your clothes
to show your sorrow.
Instead, turn back to me
with broken hearts.
I am merciful, kind, and caring.
I don't easily lose my temper,
and I don't like to punish.

14 I am the [Lord] your God.
Perhaps I will change my mind
and treat you with mercy.
Then you will be blessed
with enough grain and wine
for offering sacrifices to me.

15 Sound the trumpet on Zion!
Call the people together.
Show your sorrow
by going without food.

16  t Make sure that everyone
is fit to worship me.t
Bring adults, children, babies,
and even bring newlyweds
from their festivities.

17  t Tell my servants, the priests,
to cry inside the temple
and to offer this prayer
near the altar:t
“Save your people, [Lord] God!
Don't let foreign nations
make jokes about us.
Don't let them laugh and ask,
‘Where is your God?’ ”

The [Lord] Will Bless //the Land

18 The [Lord] was deeply concerned
about his land
and had pity on his people.

19 In answer to their prayers
he said,
“I will give you enough grain,
wine, and olive oil
to satisfy your needs.
No longer will I let you
be insulted by the nations.

20 An army attacked from the north,
but I will chase it
into a scorching desert.
There it will rot and stink
from the Dead Sea
to the Mediterranean.”
The [Lord] works wonders

21 and does great things.
So tell the soil to celebrate

22 and wild animals
to stop being afraid.
Grasslands are green again;
fruit trees and fig trees
are loaded with fruit.
Grapevines are covered
with grapes.

23 People of Zion, t
celebrate in honor
of the [Lord] your God!
He is generous and has sent
the autumn and spring rains
in the proper seasons.t

24 Grain will cover
your threshing places;
jars will overflow
with wine and olive oil.

The [Lord] Will Rescue //His People

25 I, the [Lord] your God,
will make up for the losses
caused by those swarms
and swarms of locustst
I sent to attack you.

26 My people, you will eat
until you are satisfied.
Then you will praise me
for the wonderful things
I have done.
Never again will you
be put to shame.

27 Israel, you will know
that I stand at your side.
I am the [Lord] your God—
there are no other gods.
Never again will you
be put to shame.

The [Lord] Will Work //Wonders

The [Lord] said:

28  t Later, I will give my Spirit
to everyone.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy.
Your old men
will have dreams,
and your young men
will see visions.

29 In those days I will even give
my Spirit to my servants,
both men and women.

30 I will work wonders
in the sky above
and on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire
and clouds of smoke.

31  t The sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will be as red as blood
before that great
and terrible day
when I appear.
32  t Then I, the [Lord] will save everyone who faithfully worships me. I have promised there will be survivors on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and among them will be my chosen ones.